Health Care on the Home Front: Recruit Mommy Bloggers
July 7th, 2015 by
When it comes to online influence, mommy bloggers are a huge force in social media and the blogosphere—something many major brands have noted in the past. Names like Pepsi, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Coach have all made space for these influential bloggers in their content marketing strategy, adding a dose of authenticity to their campaigns.
Information exchange has always been a big part of raising children, whether parents are looking for advice on dealing with a behavior problem or trying to find new food options. You can call your friends or your own parents, but there’s always the network of experienced parents ready to give advice online—and with roughly 4.2 million mommy bloggers on the Web, 60 percent of whom say that they blog about brands they love, these influential resources can be a crucial part of a campaign. The bloggers with good advice and entertaining updates rise to become Internet celebrities. Not unlike professional athletes with sponsorship deals, an endorsement from popular mommy bloggers can boost your medical Internet marketing campaign to the next level.
To tap into the reservoir of parental advice-givers online, keep these four tips in mind.
Know Your Mommy
Different bloggers have very different backgrounds and attitudes, and a look at the list of the top U.S. mom bloggers shows the diversity of their backgrounds, attitudes, and writing styles. Many have posted a lot of information about themselves, and you should be able to determine which bloggers would be more interested in your products or services. If you’re looking to raise awareness about new vaccination services at your hospital or practice, you might expect less enthusiastic support from a blogger who has been vocal against immunization in the past. On the other hand, a PTA leader active in community projects might be able to help with your next awareness campaign.
Participate in the Conversation
Once you see the kinds of subjects that capture the attention of online parents, look out for topics relevant to your industry. For medical Internet marketing, establish yourself as an authority by posting informative updates about subjects that matter to parents. When it comes to important issues like vaccinations, there will always be rumors and hearsay online, but presenting an informed medical perspective can give mommy bloggers a resource to reference or link in the discussion. However, because of legal complications, you’ll want to avoid offering specific medical advice online, especially in response to individual questions. The American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics is a great resource for anyone who is uncertain about treading into the waters of ethical online content.
Make Your Health Care Message Viral
When you have an announcement that’s less interesting, consider the kinds of clever images and videos that get circulated online. To advertise a touchless flush system, KOHLER worked with WhatsUpMOMS, a YouTube channel and video blog produced by a trio of mothers, to create a video titled “How to Potty Train Your Kid in 5 Seconds!” You may not have the budget for a clever commercial as part of your medical Internet marketing, but you can show that you understand the stresses and concerns of parenthood.
Stay Professional
Ultimately, the parents in your area have a vested interest in health care for the sake of their children. The first priority is to make your website informative and then to improve your search result rankings to make your website more visible. Once the public is able to find your site, you can work on turning satisfied customers into positive reviews. If your practice is more focused on cosmetic services, then you may want to take a more active approach by advertising on social media.
In the past, companies selling breast pumps or minivans have offered mommy bloggers free samples or test-drives in exchange for reviews, but free samples are less applicable in the arena of medical Internet marketing, and some women might take offense at being personally offered cosmetic procedures. The best approach is simply to make your business visible and available.
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